Vehicle-top.



A. M. WINGATE.

' VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

1,007, 1 68 Patented 051.31, 1911.

witnessesgygmigr if gm 4. 9 'fiwrfiiainate im a 1 3% f ARTHUR M. VJINGATE, F REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE-TOP.

acomcs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Got. 311,

Application filed September 2, 1909. Serial 110. 515,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR Ml lNrNoATn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Revere, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Vehicle-Tops, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings reprc senting like parts.

lviy invention relates to vehicle tops and particularly to toldable tops, and aims to provide a top so constructed that when it is in its raised or open position it will permit free ingress to and egress from the seat of the vehicle.

In the drawings of one embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description herein Figure 1 is a side elevation of my foldable top in raised or open position, the lower side edge of the top being broken away to show clearly the for-' ward supporting member or bow and its positioning member; Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of the under side of that portion of the top forward of the central bow, portions of the central and forward bows and the top being broken away; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the top in its lowered po sition; and Fig. 4 a view of the lower edge of one side member of the forward bow, as it appears when the top is in its folded or lowered position, as in Fig. 3.

Referringto the drawing, Fig. 1, my improved top is shown as comprising the usual central supporting member or bow 1, shown herein as secured to the ends of the seat 2, of an automobile or other vehicle,-a portion only of which is shown,in any usual manner, as by means of eyes 3 at the lower ends of the bow, which receive the threaded ends 1 of studs 5, Fig. 1, about which the bow 1 is free to move, the. bow being re -tained on said studs by any desired means as usual nuts 6. These studs 5 be socured to the vehicle in any desired manner, or any other suitable device for movably securing the bow 1 t0 the vehicle body may be used.

At any suitable points upon the downwardly extended side members of the how 1, and preferably near the ends thereof, said how has hinged to it, in any suitable manner a similar rear bow 7, which latter obviously may be of any required height to give the desired outline to the top. The number of these bows may be varied. as desired and they may be. of desired material and construction, those shown herein comprising hollow, metallic side members 8, into the top ends of which are inserted and suitably secured, the downwardlybent ends of the curved top members 9. l have also provided a forward short bow 10, preferably positioned at the same angle relative to the cen-' tral bow 1 s the rear bow 'Z, its ends being cut, prefer ly angularly, atsubstantially the points where its ends would btherwise be inserted in the tops of side members 8, were such members used. These angular ends of the short bow 19 are suitably so cured, as by screws, to end sections 11 ct the collapsible positioning members 12 of which there are two, Fig. 2, which, in their extended positions, serve to hold the short forward how 10 in its extended position as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each of these collapsible positioning members 12 comprises, herein four sections, 1 1, 13 1d and 15, re spectively flexibly joined one to another by any preferred means, herein the hinge joints 16. 17 and 18. These members 11, 13, 14

and 15 may be of any desired material and of any suitable form in crosssection but 1 have found sections substantially rectangular in form made of iron or brass to give satisfaction. The rear end sections 15 of the members 12 are suitably secured, as by screws not shown, preferably to the front edge of the central bow 1, and preferably at a point that willposition the members 12 at substantially right angles to the bow 1, when the top is in its extended position.

Each positioning member 12, preferably at section 13 thereof, is provided, herein at its under edge, with a spring member 19, secured to said section 13 by screws 20. The ends of each of said spring members 19 are provided, Figs. 1 and 3 with apertures 21, one of which is adapted to receive the pin 22 suitably secured to section 11, when said section 11 and section 13 are in their extended positions shown in Fig. 3, while the opposite aperture 21 is adapted'to receive pin 23 similarly secured to section 1 1, when the sections 13 and 1 1 are in extended positions as in Fig. 1. The ends of each spring member 19, are each preferably provided with ears or thumb pieces 24 to facilitate the springing of these ends to unlock the same from engagement with the pins 22-23. The sections 11 and 14 of the positioning memlid canopy the front securing straps am here 152 are each provided M one 9:1? their ends mt]; aegmeninl. fe prevem the section of which they are a, part {1-0; 1 "01 di ing toofar back upon i he opposite 3e 1' T seamen. Without 11 15 folded Lmek the seehon. l 12, Will mashed top mveen the two bows 1 and mfoldcd when the sec agal, seciien which W011? foldedv 10p $00 far back for em'we' m ACO.

To :w'ist in retaining the 3 152 in their extmde T 1550 10 mm e sec-1. 1y

1, and L Ward end 1 the em 3 p1" zuxflmr s x '1 two cards $5,017C1lfli115, i L 1. "c-rial. each having one 0. desired manner to (he vehicle fige news 1 ein the crown the have 1, ani p? [1313 Sheri. distance either side member thereeif 1 13;. ti e opposite end of each co d '11: sucmm l 1s by fin prefer-:11 0f member any suimbie cords may be some? seemed to flee erdwn 9 f the nor When is desirei 0 lever i, detached or unbuckled, The ens of the loeklng 130 t sectlzns 13 and M 01 he nos-momma: mem- 1, .'p 14.. a e a .z-

Jen; L sheula when be depleseed eumx mmly in uniock said members from any" Yemeni D;

with IE1]: ins 011 the sections '1 W11 pee t the positioning members 12 00112, at the joints of sectinns 14- i {e section 141- tm'n m down against the of the central be and the semmn 573 a forward bow 3,1) in. 1 upward also against the ]e z;s of said (1mm 110W fail limtumziy $31 into its collapsed.

Levi, we

"position in {51 311511511 mummy" 1g. 3, the bows 1' and plane with pins win appearance 0}: a 0 member a 1d may" new In Hm usual: no

ligutenh'ig bf the .mes Hue Em? wivzud, its Wei then the 'n'ionsly min? he jzoints of the uO'a-V 1. The tap Win 1011 upon 52nd m1 {1112i diary down in he]? as he how inclined pus one 1? gid ted com mefliiv at a peelmenfn positioning member and half-bow. extending y from said positioning member to one of said supporting members, and automatically effective on the locking of said positioning member in extended position to supportsaid positioning member and half-bow, and a securing member extending from said halfbow to .said vehicle to secure said extended top in desired position relative to the vehicle. V i

2. In a vehicle folding top, a cover, supporting members therefor comprising a halfbow, means to open the top comprising a multipart positioning member movably secured to and for relatively positioning said half-bow, locking means comprising a stud on two of said parts of said positioning member, a spring member on one part of said positioning member adapted to engage either of said studs, and to ositively lock two of said parts of said positioning member .in raised position andto lock two of said parts in collapsed position, and auxiliary supporting means for said positioning member adapted automatically to become effective upon the extending of said multipart positioning member.

37' In a vehicle folding top, supporting members for the top comprising a half-bow, means to open the to comprising .a multipart, collapsible, se f-lockmg positioning member for relatively positioningsaid halfbow in raised'position and relatively positioning and rigidly locking said half-bow and positioning member in collapsed position, supporting means connecting said positioning member to the .ar'ched portion of one of said supporting members and means extending from said half-bow to the vehicle to secure said top in position thereon.

4. In a vehicle top the supporting memher 1, half-bow '10, multipart positioning member 12 to adjustably secure said half-- bow to said supporting member, auxiliary supporting member 26 for. supporting an intermediate part of said positioning 1nemher and said half-bowfrom said supporting member, a locking member 19 on said positioning member for ilocking a plurality of the parts ,of said positioning member'm a plurality of positions and a securing member for said half bow' and supporting member.

5. In a vehicle folding to less cover supporting mem ers comprising a half-bow and means to raise the top comprising a multipart, collapsible, self-locking positioning member for relatively positioning said half-bow in raised position and relatively positioning and rigidly locking said half-bow in lowered position, securing means to secure said half-bow to the Vehicle and means on at least one part of said multi' pa rt member to determine the position thereof relative to adjacent parts thereof aud'tQ position said half-bowwithout the fields I of the cover wh'e n'the top is lowered.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- ARTHUR M. WINGATE.

Witnesses:

Evnnn'r'r S. EMERY, ARTHUR E. CARSON.

a cover, brace- 

